15 Mar 2026

Visiting Julia at the MAC.

I have been trying to make a habit of typing bullet points throughout the week so I know what to write about, but somehow I failed to do that over the past two weeks.

The kids are perpetually annoyed at how often I snap pictures, but I really enjoy photography, plus it helps me remember what events have transpired when I can’t even seem to remember what happened an hour ago.

I learned how to shoot on a DSLR camera ages ago, but I have always loved the aesthetic of film photography. I've collected a few cameras over the years, and while the film cameras from decades ago are total workhorses, they are also quite heavy, so I haven't toted them around all that much. I really should bring out my point-and-shoot film camera since it fits nicely in my purse.

A few highlights from last week and this week:

A double date with Masayo and Toro

My friend Masayo is truly a special person. I first met her at the local swim club through our neighbor, but we didn't grow close until a couple years ago when Eugene and her son did lessons in the same lane. They became fast friends since they have the same rambunctious energy, and this year they are in the same Kindergarten class.

Masayo is the reason I stuck it out with swim team. Out here, swim team is a whole other beast: the culture, the schedule, the vibes in general. The pool deck almost reminds me of the cafeteria map from "Mean Girls," except instead of tables, it's tents. If you don't know anyone there, it's a bit tough to find your place – both literally and figuratively. Masayo welcomed us with open arms when Maggie first joined the swim team and didn't hesitate to share her tent, her food and her advice. Her daughter also helped Maggie with her first-year jitters. I can't thank her enough for everything she's done for our family and for helping us feel like we belong.

I often see Masayo walking in our neighborhood with her Shiba Inu named Toro. Josie is obsessed with Toro and they have essentially become best buds. For a while now, whenever Eugene would have a play date with Masayo's son, Josie would ask when it would be her turn to have a date with Masayo and Toro, so we finally made it happen! Masayo and Toro joined me to pick Josie up from school, and then we all enjoyed a nice pizza lunch together.

Rediscovering the library

It’s been a minute since I visited a library. I used to take Maggie to story time when she was younger, but after the pandemic, I was much more hesitant to pile into a small, crowded room, especially since Eugene was still so little.

Recently, my friends and I decided to meet at the library in hopes of getting a free book kit for upcoming pre-K students. While we weren’t all able to get a kit (they ran out pretty quickly), our girls had a great time in the children’s section, completing a scavenger hunt and perusing the board books.

I really have forgotten what a wonderful resource the library can be. So often I just head to a search engine to help me answer a question, but what did we used to do before the Internet existed? We just wondered, and we were okay with wondering until we could find the answer, most likely through a life experience or by consulting the encyclopedia or the dictionary. There’s much less wonder in a world used to instant gratification, and I realized just how much I miss wondering while I was browsing the library catalog.

I brought home a few books I thought Eugene might enjoy, and we were both thrilled to discover a new (to us) children’s author-illustrator that seems to enjoy trains as much as he does.

Visiting the MAC/Julia Child exhibit

When I was helping Maggie research for her biography project a few weeks ago, I came across information on a Julia Child exhibit happening in Napa. I had no idea Napa even had a museum, but I always love an excuse to head up to wine country.

Funnily enough, I’m almost never in Napa to actually drink wine, and this time was no different since our main objective was to see the exhibit. I was pleasantly surprised at how much the kids seemed to enjoy exploring the exhibit and appreciated that this particular one was so hands-on. The docent giving us the tour was impressed by all of Maggie’s knowledge about Julia and joked about how Maggie could take over for her.

Before leaving the museum, I thanked the docent for her patience with the kids and mentioned to her that we almost never find ourselves visiting museums as a family, mostly because I fear that the kids would be disruptive. To this, the docent kindly said it was her pleasure and to “keep taking them [to museums]. It’s so good for them.”

I am often apprehensive about how my kids will behave, and I often let that fear prevent me from taking them to places where there’s a certain etiquette that needs to be followed. I worry about my children being judged and how I will be judged as their mom. But the docent’s words gave me some encouragement to keep trying and to not let my fears get in the way. The kids need to experience things and learn how best to behave in different settings.

I wonder what exhibit we’ll visit next.

The weather has really been something lately. When Eugene and Josie had their first swim lessons in early March, I knew they’d be miserable exiting the pool since we were only seeing temperatures in the mid-60’s. The temperature was almost 80 for their lesson this past Monday, and if the forecast is correct, their next lesson will be in summer weather, about 90 degrees.

I have been trying to get more walks in and need to fill the tires of our bicycles as I hope to ride in the warmer days ahead. I really admire the people I see biking daily to and from school, no matter what season it is. I wonder if some day that could be me and my kids too.

I have yet to decide if I will enjoy a Guinness this year for St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll report on that, and more, next time.